“Three hundred lives of men I have walked this earth and now I have no time.”

Yeah no sh*t Gandalf. Countless nights in my younger, single years wondering if “he’d call”. Going to bed early because I was bored. Sauntering to-and-fro the aisles of Goodwill to kill time.

What I wouldn’t give for time like that again.

Alas, my husband and I find ourselves near middle age with a 12-year-old and a big 4-year-old who I sometimes force to play “baby” with me so I can snuggle her even a few moments before she catches on and wiggles away.

She no longer needs all the baby things society tells us she needs. Diaper days are gone. We’ve swapped Desitin for Delsym and her crib for a twin bed (that one hurt like a b). But we still need a few things!

Here are our favorites as of late.

Kyte Baby Twirl Dress in Strawberry

Sorry about the photoshoot but girlfriend was FEELIN this dress. This is our second twirl dress from Kyte and man-oh-man are they good. The stretchy bamboo fabric is absolute perfection and means it always fits perfectly. The skirt has juuuust the right amount of “twirl” and I love the length of the sleeve and slight dip in the back. In my eyes, this is the perfect dress for a child. It is easy, ridiculously comfortable, but also somehow works for a multitude of occasions. We’ve worn the blush pink version in a 3T no less than 50 times. These hold up amazingly well, pair great with leggings, are are simply a wardrobe staple!

Tiny Revival Pajama Set

This pajama set from Tiny Revival in the Savannah Vintage print is just to die. I cannot handle the sunflowers, pumpkins, and sweet little girls holding pumpkins I MEANNN. These have easily become Clara’s favorite pajamas as they are made of 94% Tencel/Modal which if you don’t know – is basically the Cadillac of fabrics. I adore the empire-waist detail of the top and slim fit of the bottoms, cute enough for a morning donut run paired with rainboots fo sho.

Storypod Interactive Audio System

The Storypod audio system has been a gamechanger for us (we got the starter set for age 4 in case you’re curious)! Educational, calming, and fun, the Storypod has been amazing for our family and beats the Toniebox for a number of reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, the Storypod characters are just cuter. They are plush, knit creatures and I actually appreciate the fact that most are not licensed characters. We get enough Disney, Paw Patrol, and Cocomelon as it is. It’s been great to take a break from the usual suspects and learn about new and fun characters. We really love listening to Craftie Fox, who provides 6 tracks and 83 minutes of content.

Second, the Storypod also comes with read-along audiobooks! Just like the audio characters, the books can be tapped on the Storypod and read aloud. The Storypod also plays a special noise when it is time to turn the page.

I cannot recommend this product enough!

Hatley Sherpa-Lined Raincoat

I KNOW it’s summer but I had to sing the praises of this raincoat. Clara got this from our Aunt Sandi for Christmas last year and it has become a staple. The quality is amazing and it actually keeps her dry. We have brought it on multiple vacations with heavy rain and it is perfect every time. I love that the inside is lined all-throughout with super-soft sherpa but the outside is totally waterproof and oh-so-fun.

OxiClean Max Force Gel Stick

Including this product is so cliché but I’M SORRY IT WORKS. If you don’t already know, I am also a reseller and this stuff works miracles. It has saved over 50% of Clara’s wardrobe, attacking grease, marker, food stains, you name it! I recently used it to remove a bunch of mystery black marks on a gorgeous pair of Vince wool wide-leg trousers and they came out with minimal scrubbing. You’ve gotta try it.

Toddler Wipe-Clean Activity Book

We got this big dry-erase toddler workbook at Costco and dear God it is teaching her how to write! I am definitely NOT on top of all the little learning activities for her (official preschool starts this fall!) and being able to sit down and do these little writing exercises together has been amazing. She is even holding the pen correctly! I wasn’t sure if we’d get good use out of this, but it has been something we pull out and do allll the time.

All for now! Stay tuned for a NYC trip recap, it’ll be a doozy.